St Kilda rushes potential debutant Nick Hind and defender Ben Paton to Shanghai as three players battle illness
St Kilda has made two late changes for its clash against Port Adelaide in China after illness took hold among the playing group.
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St Kilda has been forced to withdraw two players for today’s Shanghai clash after illness took hold among the group.
Dan McKenzie and Jonathan Marsh have had to be replaced, with Nick Coffield and Darragh Joyce late inclusions.
The late dash made by Nick Hind and Ben Paton overnight was not required in the end with all other players ready to go.
Coach Alan Richardson has also recovered from his minor stomach bug and will lead the team.
“We’re ready to go,” Saints football boss Simon Lethlean said.
“McKenzie and Marsh are feeling better this morning but we made the call to leave them out of the side given their preparation has been compromised.
“Joyce and Coffield have trained fully over the past two days and, like the rest of the group, are really excited to get out there.
“Richo and the other guys who missed yesterday’s captain’s run are fully recovered as expected.”
Warm conditions are forecast in Shanghai, which is tipped to reach 30 degrees.
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The Saints’ final run before their Shanghai showdown with Port Adelaide was without Richardson and three players on Saturday.
Richardson was feeling a bit off-colour and opted to stay back at the team hotel with Jack Billings, Shane Savage and Dan McKenzie. Despite reports that up to six players had been struck down, St Kilda was adamant that it was only the trio and Richardson.
It is understood that none of the three players in question ate outside the hotel on Friday night, but the illness may not be food-related.
Their absence comes a day after Blake Acres was ruled out of the clash due to a virus.
Assistant coach Brendon Lade stepped in for Richardson and said “they’re all fine”.
“Richo’s just feeling a little bit off, so he stayed at the hotel and will get a bit of rest and hopefully he’ll be right tomorrow (Sunday),” he said.
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We had a couple stay back at the hotel, but they’re all fine.
“Definitely not (enough to put us off the experience). It’s great coming here to Shanghai. I’ve been here the last two years with Port.
“For a group to come over and spend four or five days here, that’s really good for the group and we just need to get the result now.”
Lethlean said Richardson was dealing with “something fairly minor and recovering quickly”, and that he was expected to be at full health by Sunday’s game.
Lade said the team would welcome skipper Jarryn Geary — who has missed five games after having surgery on his heavily-corked quad — back with open arms.
“He’s pretty important to our club, and he’s probably one of the reasons that we lost four in a row, as well, because of how influential he is in our backline,” Lade said.
“He starts a lot of our defence and also starts a lot of our offence, and he’s also the skipper which has a fair bit of pull. His rehab’s been amazing, everything’s gone right and he’s been running well for about three weeks now.”
North Melbourne will be hunting a senior coach at season’s end, and Lade echoed the sentiments of fellow Saints assistant coach Brett Ratten, saying he would be open to any such opportunity.
“Most assistants aspire to be a senior coach, and until you get there, you don’t know if you’re going to be good at it or if you’ll like it,” he said.
“We all aspire to be that person — whether you get there is another thing. I’m no different to any other assistant coach. I’d like to get there one day.”
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